animearth

The 60DA came totally from the left field. No hype, no precursory hints, just wham, here it is! Then again, I suppose it's for a niche enough demographic that the general public won't care much about it.

I am rather curious when it said "Enhanced noise reduction on the EOS 60Da sensor offers photographers the ability to experiment with the wide array of ISO settings"... does that mean they tweaked the sensor so it has better sensitivity than a 60D or is that just the same old sensor with different IR glass/microlens filters and software?

The 60DA came totally from the left field. No hype, no precursory hints, just wham, here it is! Then again, I suppose it's for a niche enough demographic that the general public won't care much about it.

I am rather curious when it said "Enhanced noise reduction on the EOS 60Da sensor offers photographers the ability to experiment with the wide array of ISO settings"... does that mean they tweaked the sensor so it has better sensitivity than a 60D or is that just the same old sensor with different IR glass/microlens filters and software?

yes this is an intersting development because if they have sorted out the low and high iso noise of that sensor it could be an interesting sign of things to come from other high density sensors

NEW CANON EOS 60Da DSLR CAMERA FOR ASTRONOMY ENTHUSIASTS CAPTURES THE TRUE COLORS OF THE COSMOS

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 3, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today introduced the EOS 60Da Digital SLR Camera, a long-awaited successor to the EOS 20Da that is optimized for astrophotography. This DSLR caters to astronomers and hobbyists who enjoy capturing the beauty of the night sky by offering a modified infrared filter and a low-noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity. These modifications allow the camera to capture magnificent photographs of “red hydrogen emission” nebulae and other cosmic phenomena.

“The EOS 60Da is a testament to the constant desire to meet the needs of every customer, including those in specialized fields,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., “This new camera enables an accurate depiction of a part of our solar system which is hard to achieve with conventional cameras but should be enjoyed and celebrated.”

The Canon EOS 60Da camera packs a powerful 18-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C) that produces sharp and high-contrast images of astronomical objects, a major enhancement over the EOS 20Da model’s 8.2-megapixel sensor. The improved infrared-blocking filter is a modification suited specifically toward astronomy enthusiasts to achieve a hydrogen-alpha light sensitivity that is approximately three times higher than that of a normal Canon DSLR camera. This produces a 20-percent higher transmittance of Hydrogen Alpha line, or Hα wavelength, allowing astronomers to capture crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae.

Enhanced Features

Crisp images of the stars and planets can be viewed on the EOS 60Da’s improved 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen with 1,040,000 dots for detailed focusing. The flip-out Vari-angle screen allows photographers to adjust the screen for easy viewing without straining even while the camera is mounted to a telescope via a third-party T-ring adapter. Optimized for stargazing with friends or in an educational setting, astronomy enthusiasts can connect the camera to a TV with the provided AVC-DC400ST Stereo AV Video Cable and display the night sky on a TV monitor using the camera’s Live View mode. Moreover, the EOS 60Da’s Live View mode is equipped with a Silent Shooting feature that eliminates shutter-induced vibration for maximum camera stability when the camera is mounted to a telescope or super-telephoto EF lens.

Enhanced noise reduction on the EOS 60Da sensor offers photographers the ability to experiment with the wide array of ISO settings and increased ISO speeds up to 6400 expandable to 12800. Other features include an intelligent nine-point autofocus system, full manual controls, and RAW, JPEG, and RAW+JPEG image recording capabilities.

Accessories

The EOS 60Da helps capture the wonders of the night sky with its use of Canon’s award-winning EF and EF-S lenses along with other EOS accessories. Additionally, the EOS 60Da is packaged with Canon’s RA-E3 Remote Controller Adapter, providing the ability to connect a Canon Timer Remote Control such as the TC-80N3 (optional accessory). The TC-80N3 is ideal for controlling time exposures longer than 30 seconds as well as capturing a series of consecutive time exposures that can be composited during post-processing for improved image quality. This is especially useful when the camera body is connected to a telescope[i] or an EF super telephoto lens.

Canon has also included an AC adapter kit with the EOS 60Da, allowing the camera to be powered through an AC wall outlet or a battery-powered inverter, ideal for long exposure image or video capture at home or in the field.

Availability

As a specialized product, the EOS 60Da is only available to order from select authorized dealers. The estimated retail price is $1,499.00 and it is expected to be available this month.

I want one! The price premium doesn't sound excessive over a regular 60D, if you look at 3rd party cost of modifying a standard body. Plus you don't have to worry about dust between filter and sensor and warranty too

The improved infrared-blocking filter is a modification suited specifically toward astronomy enthusiasts to achieve a hydrogen-alpha light sensitivity that is approximately three times higher than that of a normal Canon DSLR camera. This produces a 20-percent higher transmittance of Hydrogen Alpha line, or Hα wavelength, allowing astronomers to capture crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae.

Can somebody please make sense of this? Is it 3 times or 20% more sensitive?

My only guess is that they actually mean percentage points, so that the transmittance of normal Canon DSLRs would be 10%, and now it's 30%.

Anyway. Great news for astrophotographers. It would be nice if they also made available filters to turn the 60Da into a normal 60D.

even though i am not into astrophotography i am very intrigued by this and what it implies.

canon seems to be making a push towards specializing their camera systems. the 5D mrk3, though highly anticipated by a wide range of genres, was essentially everything that event photographers have been asking for the past few years. the cross platform demographic that the mrk2 created left many disappointed in perceived shortcomings in the mrk 3. does this announcement not inspire confidence that canon will address the needs of the other genres with specialized cameras in the coming months?

the C300, the 5D mrk 3, the still mysterious C Dslr (4k?), and now this camera? thats a ton of product announced in a short period of time. my gut tells me they aren't done by a long shot.